Reluctant Love
by starglow71
Summary: Unrelated Sam/Dean. Sam and Dean are hunters in the future, and they are arranged to mate to until their Packs when war threatens between another hunter group. And he's not happy about that. Will they make it work or will war break out anyway? Will Sam even be able to go through with it? Family. Angst. Love and Schmoop. Some Sexual stuff.
1. A Forced Mating

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Supernatural or the characters thereof.

Warning: Unrelated Sam and Dean. Sam/Dean. Some language, graphic imagery.

If you don't like Wincest, don't read! I get graphic with most of my Wincest and I don't want to offend you.

**Plot:** Sam and Dean are hunters in the future, and they are arranged to mate to until their Packs when war threatens between another hunter group. And he's not happy about that. Will they make it work or will war break out anyway?

Will Sam even be able to go through with it?

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam was led to a building, then a door he knew far too well. "Son…" John warned.

"I know…the peace between our hunter groups depend on me doing this. We've fought each other for too long and need to stop and a mating between the groups will insure peace between us…I got it." Sam scowled.

"You're not backing out?" John asked worried.

"No." Sam said. "But I won't be talking to you for the rest of life for making me do this…pimping me out! I hate you. Now let me go…I have to whore myself out now for the sake of our groups…" Sam said stepping away and going to the door. Tears in his eyes, he looked down. "There had to be another way."

"There wasn't…I'm the leader and only the son of the leader can do this." John said sadly. It was true. Only Sam's sacrifice and joining with the other leader's son could fix this; a truce would be called on account of their mating. It was the only way.

"Dean, he knows of this deal you made?" Sam asked softly in shame.

"Yes, and he agreed to it. He offered himself if we had to mate you to someone of his group. He asked permission to claim you instead of someone else." John said. "He was the only choice, too. There would have been no other candidates. He'd have had to do it, too. But he was willing anyway; as long as it was with you."

"I see." Sam said. He turned the knob and loosened the strap on his robe. "Goodbye, Dad."

John heart hurt at those words. At the thought of his son hating him but he knew he'd really had no choice in making him do this either. He hadn't wanted to send Sam to Dean either. But with Sam no longer talking to him anymore, he would never know that. So he miserably made his way back after insuring their home was guarded and they couldn't leave until they'd mated. Regretting it had come to this.

All other peace talks had failed; pride had taken their groups over. One was better…one was always better. Even other truces had been broken soon after making them. But a mating couldn't be broken. Which was what had started this mess in the first place. The hunters would have to honor the truce their mating would forge now; there would be no getting around it or breaking it. The groups would unite and they would no longer be fighting each other, or so he and Bobby, Dean's father, hoped.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Sam saw Dean on the bed, eyes anxious. He gave a small forced smile and presented the box of supplies to him. Dean opened it and nodded, reaching for him while setting them aside on the night stand. Sam looked around the room that would be his new home he'd share with Dean and sighed. Then he slowly let his robe slip off and got on the bed.

"Sam…I won't hurt you. I'll love you, I promise. I already do…I always have." Dean said gently as he kissed the shoulder he'd been fantasizing about for years. Having the man he loved in his bed finally was exhilarating but seeing his reluctance dulled that excitement more than a little bit. Sam didn't want this, but they both knew they had no choice. There was no stopping it now. "I'll get you to love me back someday. I will show you that you can trust me and get you to love me, too. You will love me, I'm sure of it. We're best friends after all."

He hesitated at Sam's hard look. His hopeful smile slipping a few notches at that, his heart dropping suddenly as well.

"We _were_ friends. Now we're mated and that's over. Let's get it over with, I'm tired." Sam said rolling onto his stomach to get on his hands and knees; arching up his ass. "Skip the foreplay, only ones who love each other need that."

"I do love you." Dean said softly but saw his point. Sam didn't love him. Maybe once this was over, they'd get to do the foreplay next time then he could show him how much he loved him. "Next time we do the foreplay, like proper mates do."

"Fine, whatever floats your boat. Let's just fuck." Sam said coldly and waited with his head down. Tears touched Dean's eyes and he had to work himself hard again; since he'd wilted at the thought of Sam being unwilling to do this with him. He wanted him to want him, but…he didn't. "I want this truce, so that means I must want this mating…so let's get it over with."

Dean used fingers coated with lube to open him; Sam moaned lightly then locked his sounds out and his jaw locked up tight. His hips still rocked onto them and Dean hardened at that, Sam was enjoying it a little, so he must not be too unwilling to be with him. His body would be his, but his heart…the one thing Dean wanted most…that wasn't his. And Dean felt a bitter feeling hit his heart as he realized that was the thing he'd wanted most.

The thing he'd dreamt of since he met the handsome boy. To share laughter with him, then as they got older, those wants changed to more grown up wishes. One that wanted to hold him, to love him and be loved back, and to share his bed and home with him as his loving mate. That wasn't happening and it broke his heart a little. But he swore he'd see him loving him someday; it would just take time for Sam to be able to. For now, they had peace to establish and sex to take care of.

He pushed into him when he relaxed enough and stopped, letting Sam adjust. Then moved when Sam subtly moved back onto him more, signaling he was ready. He made love at first but it soon deteriorated to harder thrust and he cried out in bliss, moaning as he took his mate and finally claimed him as Sam cried out, too, despite all his efforts not to. They both went on longer then Dean still hard and Sam got into it, but didn't look at him. Dean hated that.

Soon both were close and Dean worked his shaft hard, and they both shot off again, a claim established and made for all to hear. Sam would have to go out tomorrow and show proof to the leaders of their mating, but that was tomorrow. Dean got the brand out and handed it to Sam. He pressed it to Dean's shaft lightly and it burned in at the base. They'd shaved for this so there were no hairs to get in the way. Dean bit back a scream as his sensitive skin burned like fire. Then did the same for Sam, but he kissed his mark, showing love as much as he could.

Sam looked away in shame when he did it.

The device set aside, it had recorded their fluid levels of their skin and would show they were properly saturated from sex. The only way to verify they'd mated for sure without it being observed. A small 'M' was burnt at the bases of their shafts now, healing quickly. Supernatural hunters like them were Immortal but vulnerable to harm. They just healed really fast and couldn't die. A trait some wished weren't there at all.

An Eternity of being unhappily mated loomed in front of Sam and he cried softly into the night. Dean held him from the back and tried to soothe him, but nothing helped. So Dean just held him and said he loved him, and he'd be a good mate to him, and maybe someday he'd love him back. Either way, he'd never leave him, always stay with him, and would take care of him. Would be good to him for the rest of their lives. Whatever Sam wanted he just had to ask for and Dean would get it for him, no matter what that was or what it took for him to get it for him.

Sam thought to himself that would never happen but did hope that Dean would be a good mate to him. He'd try to be one to him if he tried to be good to him as well. Never one to mope; he let the image of the blond girl he'd thought he'd loved before go. She'd mated to another after vowing to wait for him.

He'd gone on his 'Rite of Passage' into the world and came back to her being mated to another, and it had broken his heart. He'd been heartbroken then he'd been informed that thirty hunters had been seriously injured in the latest battle between the groups. They'd be out of commission for a few weeks while they waited for their limbs to properly heal again; and he'd been shocked it had gotten this far.

War was looming and he feared that most of all.

His father had mentioned a solution and this was it. That was the only reason he'd even agreed to this arrangement in the first place.

But Dean had mated to him and said he'd be good to him, he loved him…so he might give this a shot. He realized Dean was right. They had been best friends before this, for over ten years and knew each other in and out; so maybe he'd been the best choice for him after all…he just needed some more time to get used to this new thing between them and see if he could love him the way Dean loved him. It was a good match, even he had to agree. They could build on the friendship they'd once had and go from there; many mated couples had, not all were love matches; so he was willing to try if Dean was.

But he didn't have to like it!

Xxxxxxxxx

Sam and Dean came out the next day and immediately went to the Leader's office. Dean gave them the branding device and they showed the 'M' on their shafts for more proof. They were given golden chains to wear with both groups' initials on a charm that hung from them; to show the joining. Sam was quiet and looked at the floor. John tried to get him to look at him, not a glance. A slight bow of respect was all he gave and 'It is done, Leader.' Not 'Dad' or even the formal 'father' he used to use when he was upset with him or arguing with him….just 'Leader'. Bobby noticed this and patted his friend's arm. "He's just mad, John, give him time."

Sam did the same to Bobby and they left. Bobby got the feeling they both were the object of Sam's anger here and sighed. "He just needs time…he cared for Dean before, maybe love can grow from that."

"What about the love for me? I hope this didn't cost me my only son, I never wanted that." John said miserably twirling the brand between his fingers. "Think he'll ever forgive me for making him do this."

"He will. Dorian hated her mating to Dante, their groups were the same as ours, now they are madly in love and very happily mated…Viktor Scaric and Stefan, Stefan Finch that is, are getting along fine and their groups are peaceful now. Like ours will be." Bobby said. "She forgave Viktor eventually, so Sam will forgive you, too."

"It took months for her to love him, and longer to forgive her father for forcing her to mate to Dante in the first place." John said sadly.

"He's the Pheonix, one of seventeen in his bloodline I believe. She's a Dhampyre, the only one in her generation so far as well. It was a recessive gene she had carried on from an ancestor. Dante's was just…there. It was a good match and it let them carry on their bloodlines, maybe carry on and strengthen their traits; make more like them from it. And it made peace between them. It's not like they didn't try everything like we did and failed. The only thing that fixed theirs was mating the groups together and I hope this does it for ours, too, or we'll have a war on our hands." Bobby said sadly, neither wanted a war and they hoped this would prevent that. No group dared to go against a mating or to try to break one; that was a death sentence. Only a leader could break a mating and only with a damn good reason for it, too!

Too many had died between their groups and for the sake of senseless violence and arrogance. It was time to fix it or let them kill each other. And they were trying to avoid that.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The two groups glared at them as they walked by, furious at what they'd done. As if they had a choice in it. Sam thought bitterly. They were the reason that they had to do it in the first place and they were judging them! "It's all your faults!" He fairly shouted at them and they flinched at the truth in his words and rage in his eyes. "You didn't try to end the conflict so _we_ had to mate to end it. If you'd have listened at the peace talks and kept the truces; you wouldn't have been forced to do this. And neither would we!"

"We're better than them…and you know it." One said.

"No, we're not. We're hunters just like them and no one is better." Dean shouted at him. "Your pride is why we were facing war…how stupid was that? We fixed it and you better be good, or I'll make you my personal training dummy, are we clear? Any of you try any stupid shit and you will be the ones we practice our skills on! I mean it."

They got quiet after that and Sam sighed. "Let's go, Dean…I want to talk to you alone." He said and looked away. Dean brushed his cheek and kissed him anyway. He let Sam lead him to spot by the waterfall and sat down, waiting to see what he wanted to say while also hoping it wasn't bad.

"Go ahead, I'm listening." Dean said eyes on his. Taking a hand and Sam let him hold it. This encouraged Dean to think this might not be a bad kind of news then.

"I want to apologize…I was cruel to you when I…when I said what I did before we mated. You were loving and gentle and I was…I demeaned your tenderness and care for me. I didn't want you to just fuck me at all; I was just mad at my Dad for forcing me to do this in the first place." Sam said. "You deserved better and I'm sorry. I know it hurt you."

"I knew you didn't mean to be cruel, you just didn't want to…you weren't ready. Look, if they'd given me the option, I'd have offered a courtship, spent time with you first and let you fall in love with me first, then proposed a mating to you myself but there wasn't time…that wasn't an option, and the thought of you going to some jerk who wouldn't appreciate you was just unbearable to me. I've loved you for years." Dean said.

"Did you see her go to him, Jessica, I mean? Did you encourage it?" Sam said getting upset. "Did you do that so you could have me to yourself?"

"I saw her and tried to get her to stay away from Brady. I told her she should wait for you…she did but then she fell for him and he was always there watching her…and she went to him one night; I would never have done that to you! I knew how much you loved her, Sam. Even if it wasn't with me, I still wanted you to be happy." Dean admitted. "I was jealous of her but understood it was your choice."

"When did you first know you loved me this way?" Sam asked scooting closer to held by Dean, and he took the opportunity to hold him against his side more. Sam felt warm on his side and he smelled really nice, too! He never wanted to let him go.

"Well, it was the Full Moon Harvest Festival and you were 16, there was that huge moving target overhead that everyone had been trying to shoot at all night…you climbed on top of the water tower and leveled your shotgun at it, and hit it dead center. Then fell off the tower and broke both your legs. You were in traction for a week while you healed. And all I could think of was that you were so clever to do that. Everyone else was upset you got hurt and others said you cheated but…I thought it was the most amazing thing I ever saw. That's when I realized I thought that way because I was proud of the man I loved for doing it in the first place. That's when I realized I was in love with you. I was seventeen." Dean said smiling as he recalled it. "That was a fantastic shot, I still think so. You got 1,000 pieces of gold for that shot as I recall…"

"Dad put it in the bank and made me save it, stingy thing. I didn't get to spend a penny of it for myself first, I was so mad at him." Sam said laughing. "It was worth the pain, I just saw how to get the shot and did it; it wasn't that hard. It was just too high for anyone to hit, that's all."

"Dad did it on purpose, so no one would hit it." Dean admitted. "He wanted to test your patiences. Yours was lacking, he said. But he didn't mean it; I saw he was proud of you for taking the initiative and finding a way to hit it. He always admired you, Sam. Said you were good for me. I should have seen this coming but I missed the clues."

"Me, too. Dad always said you were good for me, too, that you kept me out of trouble. I only climbed that tower because you were off with that new girl, Sherry or something, and not there to keep me occupied. Otherwise I'd never have gotten so enthralled with that damn target to begin with. Should have known he'd see you as my future mate…" Sam said shaking his head but smiling. "They meant well, I was too hard on him…my Dad. I should apologize. He was only doing what he thought was best and I hurt his feelings. I knew he didn't want to make me do this, that he had no choice…it was the right decision. I was just too blinded by my indignation to see it. He loved me, and knew you'd be good to me, be a good mate to me…he didn't give me to just anyone, he gave me to a guy who'd love me for the rest of my life that I was already close to. I was an ass about the whole thing, on top of how I treated you…yeah, I have a few apologies to make."

"In this new spirit of getting along, I'd like to suggest something then." Dean said and Sam looked at him curiously. "Dates…we do dates. Picnics and swimming, and other things, walks in the moonlight, through the forest, romantic stuff. We talk and spend time together as friends and mates. We hold off on sex for a couple weeks to get to know each other as mates, but incorporate the best friend stuff we used to do into it. Then we come together and try it again, but still live together like we do now. Behave like mates most of the time but take it slow…get you more comfortable with me as your mate now so you can see we can make this work. You might even come to love me more, who knows?"

"What about our urges, you know?" Sam said bringing up the crux of his argument.

"We take care of them for ourselves, no one else can touch us. We…pleasure ourselves or in front of each other; I'm a voyeur so I'd enjoy watching you get yourself off. You are, too, we both know that. I knew that when we were ten and you insisted on watching the mass mating of that Pack we were hunting…we never went after them, strangely enough." Dean teased him.

Sam blushed but chuckled, nodding. Dean did know him well so this might work! "Yeah, it wasn't them taking the hearts. Remember one was taken during the mating thing and they were all there, so it wasn't any of them. We had to redo all our research and that's when we found the hidden rogues setting them up, remember? They were sneaky things, that was for sure. They almost had us convinced it was the Pack except for the fact that we had to watch them mate and that gave the rogues away…if they'd waited until the mating was over, we'd never have known it wasn't them. Dumb asses." Sam snorted in disdain.

"So…does that mean if I pack a lunch for us tomorrow afternoon, you'd go on a picnic with me?" Dean asked hopefully.

"I'd love to." Sam said and found to his surprise, he meant it.

"How about a swim then? Some Fall diving?" Dean offered and held out a hand. Sam took it and they ran to the top of the falls and stripped down to their underwear. "You are so sexy, Sam…thought I should tell you." Dean said attempting to flirt.

"You are, too. Like the briefs." Sam said teasing as well, flirting and smiling. "I have a great looking mate."

"Me, too." Dean said and looked down. "Come on, baby. Let's do this!"

Then taking hands and linking them, they dove in together and fell to the deep pool below. Popping to the surface, they sputtered and moved their arms to stay where they were. "That was fun!" Sam said laughing. "Again!"

Dean laughed with him then and they got out to do it again. Having fun the rest of the day swimming and talking, reminiscing about things they'd done and laughing some more. Their Dads peeked in on them at times and smiled, pleased it was going better than they had hoped. They really seemed to taking to each other finally so they let them be; relishing the fact that Sam was finally warming up to the idea of being mated, despite his earlier hesitance to do so.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dean, that is cheating, go back!" Sam shouted as they fought over the checker in question. "You cannot jump my men six times!"

"Sure I can, it's in the rules." Dean laughed getting the checker from his mate's grasp but upsetting the board in the process. "Great, now I have to get the checkers out of our bed. Thanks, Sam."

He didn't seem unhappy about though as they dug out the checkers from the sheets and layers of blankets. Both looked up as John knocked and came in, smiling at their poses at that point. His eyes took in the bent checker board and loose pile of checkers nearby, and he laughed. "Whatever did the Checker game do to you? Mean things." He teased them.

"He jumped six times in a row, that's cheating." Sam quipped.

"The rules say I can keep jumping if they are in a line." Dean quipped back and stuck out his tongue. Sam smacked his shoulder for it and looked at his Dad, getting serious. "I'll…I just remembered something I had to do." Dean said suddenly, but still pecked Sam's cheek. "Still love you, even if you messed up my winning game."

"So not, I was going to win that one." Sam teased back, blushing at his mate's adoring look.

"We'll never know now." John said chuckling and waved as Dean took off out the door, shooting him a pleading look. John got the point and sat by the desk as Sam distracted himself by gathering up the remaining checkers as best he could. "I came by to see if you…I'm going fishing and since you used to love that and it's been a couple weeks…I was kind of hoping you might go with me. I've missed you, Sam. Mary misses you, too….you've been avoiding us. I've been boycotted from the bedroom until I make up with you and get you to come visit her again." John said looking down and sighing. "I'm so sorry it got to this…but I knew you'd be good together. He was a good choice for you; even you would have chosen him for yourself if you could have and he you! I couldn't stop the mating but…I regret you thought I was pimping you out, I didn't mean to. It's just…we were almost at war and we had to do something they couldn't fuck up. And you and Dean wouldn't let them break you up, so I knew this could work. I regret that this whole fighting thing caused this mess and that you had to clean it up…that you had to make this sacrifice for us; you and Dean. I do love you, son. Never doubt that. Go ahead, let me have it…get it over with."

"Not that I'm not a little mad still…but I see your point. I'm not that upset, surprisingly enough. He…tries to make me happy and we're trying something that's really working for us. I find myself falling for him more each day; he never fails to tell me he loves me or show me he does. He…he's right for me. I'm not an idiot, even I see that. I just wish it had been our choice, that's all! No one likes being forced to mate, Dad, me least of all." Sam said moving to sit closer to him, too.

"I have to admit something…we were forced to mate, too…me and your mom." John said. "Not saying I didn't love her already but…Samuel Campbell, her Dad, was an arrogant prick and my Dad, James, he was always butting heads with him. Soon their men got into it and it almost became a war and exposed us Immortal Hunters to the humans. So they had to do something since their people weren't listening and peace efforts had all failed, like ours did. So they brought Mary to my room and said we were to mate to unite our groups, to stop a war. She loved me of course, so she agreed. She, too, was pissed at being forced to do it though, like you were." John laughed at something he thought then went on. "We got to know each other as mates like you are and found we liked it. Then we got pregnant with you and it was all perfect. We didn't plan it but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to either of us. I can't imagine a day in a life without your Mom, she's my Everything; Like you are Dean's Everything. It would take a blind man not to see that much…you have been since you were sixteen and shot that damn target out. You were his sun, moon, stars…hell, his Everything from that moment on. You should have seen the things he went out of his way to do for you that you never knew he did. He was head over heels for you, Son. No other man would do for him."

"Me wanting Jess couldn't have made him very happy…" Sam said realizing how much he'd hurt his mate in the past and feeling regret for that.

"Yeah, it tore him up everytime you cancelled a thing with him only to gaze adoringly at her and go on dates with her instead. But he never begrudged you that. He even encouraged her to wait for you while you were gone, tried to scare the boys away but Brady was persistent…little bastard! He really did try to give you up, Sam, so you could be happy with her." John said softly. "Even I saw that." He smiled then. "So what are you doing now, courtship wise, that is what you are doing, right? That's what I did with your mom after we were forced to mate."

"We go on dates, picnics, and we talk a lot, play games inside. Kiss and stuff but no sex. We get ourselves off, watch each other. It's kind of hot to watch him cum so it's pretty great, we like it!" Sam said then nodded. "He's…he satisfied me when we mated, he was so gentle even when I was a jerk to him about it. He was so patient with me. He's very good in bed…I love how he touches me, how he makes me feel when he's close and holds me, kisses me. We're compatible, very much so." Sam admitted then shrugged. "I don't love him like he loves me yet but I'm getting there."

"For how long? Did you set a time limit on the courtship thing?" John asked.

"Two weeks, for the sex, but the dates and things will continue…we find we like them." Sam said smiling wider.

"So sometime soon you are coming together again…" John said delicately.

"Yes, tonight." Sam said and looked at him and sighed. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you. I want to try again…visit Mom and you again, let her see Dean, too. I don't hate you, I never did. I was just being…" Sam waved his hands. "I was just hurt that I was being forced to do this."

"I know that. It just hurt for you to say that." John said. "I didn't want to have to do it."

"Thanks, that helps." Sam said quietly. "Why did you come by anyway?"

"I'm going fishing and wanted to know if you'd go with me, so we could talk and try to be a family again…we miss you, Sam." John said. "I love you, son…always will, never will give up on you, so please don't give up on me." He managed a hopeful glance at him then. "Will you come with me? The fish are biting…"

"I'd love to." Sam said and smiled, finally hugging his Dad and crying a little. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Dad."

"Me, too, I hurt you, too." John said. Sam went to get his pole while John grabbed his own Pole and Tackle Box then they headed to the creek. "We're having a family dinner on Sunday, it's Easter…you coming?" He risked.

"Definitely. Mom always goes all out for Easter. She doing the Easter Egg hunt in the yard for the kids again?" Sam asked. They had six acres and she coated it with eggs full of candies and prizes. She limited each kid to four eggs so all the kids got some; she was a stickler for not hogging the eggs.

"Oh, yeah. I've been doing eggs for her for two days now and still have a few dozen to go…she's relentless this year…Ash and his mate have new triplets on top of the twins they already had, Jim has two more of his own with Julia, and Caleb has four, no, make that five now, all well within the four years to five year old range. So she wants to spoil them." John said. "Speaking of which, you guys going to have some of your own someday…we have the Fertility Aids available for same-sex couples like yourself and Jo and Pamela, her mate…you thinking of that yet?"

"We haven't got to talk about kids yet…we're still waiting to be a real couple. I'm not ready…" Sam said softly. "I don't…I don't love him that much yet. But I will…I already almost do. I just need more time." Sam nodded though. "I do want them, one or two, one of each, you know?"

"I know. I only had boys but Mary's talking about trying again…going for a girl this time. I'm all for it, so…" John said catching Sam's look. "I'm only two hundred, still young in Immortal years…I have all the time in the world for it."

"Dad, your folks, Mom's, the others, where are they?" Sam finally asked, dying to know.

"Well, they're around…they wander." John said. "See, the way it works is that as one leader takes over, the previous one is free to go or do as they wish. Most take off and wander, others just take a lower rank among the other hunters, some just retire and join the Elder Council. It's up to them. We don't die so that's not an option."

"So when I take over for you, and Dean takes over for Bobby, what do you guys do?" Sam asked after getting out to help retrieve their gear, doing an EMF sweep for them first then nodding it was okay. Just to be on the safe side.

"We do stuff besides leading…I'm looking forward to retiring to the house with Mary, helping in the Research Department; free-lance of course. Enjoying my grandkids, maybe raise some new babies…that kind of thing." John said. "Bobby is planning his own retirement as well…you both take over for us whenever the signs tell us it's time. Or we decide to. Usually it's every 500 years but that's a rough estimate."

"So what signs tell its time for a new leader?" Sam asked curiously as they sat on a log and set up stands to keep the poles up while they talked.

"See this?" John said, showing him a sun crest on his wrist. "It leaves my wrist, appears on yours or whoever is the heir. Then there's a Lunar Eclipse on a moonless night where it shouldn't be and it rains stars. Dean will get the moon crest on his. An angel shows up when it's the moment to transfer it and we give you the Mantles of Leadership to wear, the angel blesses you with a touch and it's done."

"What are Mantles of Leadership?" Sam asked curiously.

"This." John said showing him a star on his chest, an antipossession tattoo. "All leaders get it upon the transfer of power; the former leader tattoos it onto their successor as required. All former leaders get an extra ring of flames around theirs from the new leaders in return; to show they aren't the leader anymore but once were. It's a sign of prestige among us. We honor those that have them." John smiled and nodded. "You will get one, too. You are young though…not even a hundred yet…much too early to force a mating on…I wish it hadn't come to that."

"When do most mate then, at what age?" Sam asked.

"I was a little over a hundred when I was forced to mate to your Mom. Usually most freely mate at two hundred, between two hundred and three hundred…Eternity gets lonely after a while so they seek out company…that's when you look for the one that calls to you and court then mate when you're ready. No ceremony required but to do the brand and use it to prove your mating; like you did with Dean. It's a part of the process, so no one can lie and take advantage of someone else. It insures the honest joining of both people, how serious they are about their mating." John said then thought. "Bobby is two hundred and ten, he'd ten years older than me…he mated at one hundred and fifty to Ellen. Younger matings like ours, mine and now yours to Dean, are very rare and usually forced for one reason or another."

"So there are arranged matings?" Sam said and John nodded.

"Some hunter families see sparks between their kids and other kids, watch them and see it progresses. If it does, they may go to the other's family and try to arrange the pairing early. They ask the kids if it's okay, then it's set. They can back out later though, before the mating, and after if the mate proves abusive. It can be annulled if one proves to be a bad or harmful mate. It's a precaution against domestic abuse among us; just because we can take great harm doesn't mean we should have to, if you understand what I mean?" John said.

"Like what happened with Lila and Jerome?" Sam said figuring it out. Jerome always desired Lila but she'd never wanted him. So he'd threatened her family and she'd finally agreed to let him mate to her if he left her family alone. He later became abusive and controlling to her once they'd mated, tried to keep her from her family and us…we had to intervene. She was a walking bruise! They got her to admit he had done them and later admitted she'd only mated to him to protect her family from Jerome's possessive rage.

Jerome was promptly dismembered and dumped in an underground volcano by where they lived, and Lila had recovered with help from her loved ones and friends. She mated a few years later to a nice older man named Nathan and was happy finally. Nathan was a good man. She'd chosen well.

He treated her like a queen and would kill anyone who harmed her in any way.

And that was their big secret, their huge flaw in Immortality, such as it were. They could die, the others didn't know it but the Leaders and their heirs; they knew it. Knew how to kill the 'Immortal Hunters'. Rip them apart and melt them in the lava of the volcano underground. It's the only way to kill them. And only they knew it but rarely used it. Only for the most vile among them. No other hunters could ever know it to use against the other ones, for surely they would if they could.

It was the way of men to kill each other and if you knew how to kill that which is Immortal then you would do it eventually. And for all their 'Immortality' they were but men and had that weakness as well. As long as they saw it was impossible to kill each other, they were willing to not try. God forbid they ever learned how it could really happen, then war would be the last of their worries. Both Sam and John worried. As leaders, they couldn't allow the others to know this. They just told the others that the dead ones had fled and were banished from their lands, they didn't know where they went. The others believed them and that kept it that way.

"How did we become Immortal?" Sam said. "We carry it genetically, I get that. But how did it start?"

"Well, it began with two brothers, much like you and Dean, your ancestors really. They fought great evil and died to do it, they were brought back time and time again until Death had enough…he made them a deal…they stop dying and he'd leave them be. Dean of course argued it wasn't possible. Death protested that it was…with his help. So Dean took the Deal. Death went to Heaven and talked to God, came back with two boxes and extracted a promise from them. They must mate once they were changed and only their offspring could have the Immortality. You're named for them, you both are. Anyway, they agreed to it and took the boxes, opening it they found shiny balls of light which they took into themselves. They were changed to Immortals, the first of us. They mated and their kids were born, they went out and mated to others, making them Immortal, too. Always hunters, they always chose hunters like themselves to mate to, the kids did. Bloodlines shot out from there. The Finch, Scaric, Winchester, and Singer ones grew from theirs and were therefore Immortal." John explained. "That was hundreds of years ago, so who knows if it's true…"

"What happened to them?" Sam asked, his namesake, was he still out there…?

"They are alive to this day, living away from people. They say they still hunt but hide…they are content to leave us to our ways if we leave them alone. They suffered enough so they were blessed with the ability to cloak from all others, so they do. No one knows where they are or what they are doing…just that they are still alive and like us. Their uncle and father did pass though but were reborn through them and became Immortal, too. It is said they will aid when needed but not when you expect it…you resemble them. I found this old picture of them in the archives, or who I think they were…see for yourself." John said pulling out a folded picture and Sam gasped.

They were their twins, down to hair color and eye color!

"Whose who?" Sam asked.

"The shorter one is Dean, the taller one is Sam. The dark haired man on their left is their Dad, John. I'm named for him. The red-haired guy in the ball cap is Bobby Singer, their uncle. Bobby is his namesake. We are their twins, too. We think we're them reincarnated at a later time, and that you are the ones with the most direct link to the original bloodline; that that's why we look so much like them. We are the direct link and you are our sons, so you are the closest to them in looks and bloodline. Your blood holds the most of their genetics of us all, as well as me and Bobby." John said.

"What was their last name? It's not on here…" Sam said looking at the back of it.

"Winchester. Like me and you." John said matter of factly. "It's just another secret we keep. I believe they are still out there, helping us sometimes when we least expect it. Watching over us without us knowing it, happy for us."

"What year did they live in?" Sam asked as he put the fish he caught in their basket and dipping it back into the water, then grabbing a beer. "We live in large compounds while normals live in the cities and towns, far away from us. But we fight for them, stop evil from hurting them too much. They still don't believe in evil like we do, well, that's not true…those we save and end up befriending do and often aid us with information sometimes. They are our friends but otherwise we're separate from them. Why?"

"Well, this is 3045…they lived in 1990 something well into 2000 something, well over a thousand years ago." John said then sighed. "We stay away from the normals because they don't understand our Immortality and they freak out if they find out. It scares them. So we made a deal with the authorities. We hunt the evil, avoid the cities as much as we can outside of Hunts, and keep to our own lands they gave us. They leave us alone to do our job and give us ultimate authority during Supernatural hunts, with the cops and stuff. We don't get to hurt or kill the normals though. If we do, we have to report why we did it and how to the authorities. They frown on that so we avoid it; being called to explain stuff to arrogant assholes is too annoying for us to deal with that much, trust me." John then added. "We live forever while the normals die after living out their normal life spans. That's why we're different. We are allowed our own rules and customs separate from the other people. The higher authorities gave us sovereignty that way for us set up our own society. They didn't want to be in charge of us…we're too much of a headache and too hard for them to control that way."

"I wouldn't mind meeting our namesakes someday." Sam said as he tugged another fish in.

"One never knows." John said and chuckled. "They are pretty…isolated types, loners. So it's not likely though."

Then they talked more about their family history and fished while two men watched from a nearby Hide.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

(Prologue)

"He's a dead ringer for you, Sam." The Past Dean told his lover/brother. "And that John guy looks just like Dad."

"Yeah, he's the leader of their hunting group. The one that looks like Bobby leads the other one." Past Sam said as they nibbled on their breakfast bars. "Why are we here, Dean? We stalking them for some reason?" He nodded to the pair fishing across the way.

"No, I just wanted you to see your future twin. Mine is his mate, so…that makes sense." Past Dean said chuckling quietly. "It is nice to see them sometimes…I watch them more now. Immortality is lonely and I miss Dad and Bobby…don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Seeing that John and Bobby does make it better though." Past Sam admitted. "I have a confession…I ran into their Bobby the other day. And he knew who I was…he hugged me."

"Oh, so he knows we're here…" Past Dean said worried. The others weren't supposed to know about them. They'd have to leave their new home again if they did…he liked their new forest home. He didn't want to move again.

"Yes, but he won't tell anyone. He promised. He said John wouldn't mind meeting us though…our Mom, Mary, she's already reborn and married to John in this time. She is our Mom's clone, too. You should see her, she even more beautiful than she was when we saw her in Heaven that time. I wouldn't mind meeting her and him, just them. Maybe we could try?" Past Sam asked.

Past Dean sighed and nodded. "We'll see." He promised, then dialed Bobby's number Sam had stored in his phone. "Yeah, it's us…we'd like to set up a secret meeting with John and Mary, just them…" He listened then nodded again. "Call us when you get it set up, okay?" Bobby spoke to him briefly then and he laughed. "I bet they'll be confused, too. yeah, call us…bye." He hung up and smiled. "Bobby will set it up for us. It won't hurt to meet our parents reborn...at least I don't think it will. We can stay here that way; we don't have to leave if only they know about us. No one else can though; just them."

"Good, I'd like that." Past Sam said nodding as well.

Then waited for Bobby to call back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's note to her faithful Readers: **Dorian Scaric and Dante Finch did as Sam and Dean did, mated and had kids later and then took off when they were older and grown up. Then moved off to become nomadic Hunters, unknown to the Authorities and the Immortal Hunters, kept to themselves, and hid. Since they were already Immortal. Several years later they retired and kept to themselves, tired of hunting and evil all the time around them. Their kids formed the Scaric and Finch lines when their kids mated to some of the Winchester kids later on in the bloodline. They are around and visit their cousins, the Past Sam and Dean, discretely of course. Just in case anyone was curious...


	2. Making New Friends

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Supernatural or the characters thereof.

Warning: Unrelated Sam and Dean. Sam/Dean. Some language, graphic imagery.

If you don't like Wincest, don't read! I get graphic with most of my Wincest and I don't want to offend you.

**Plot:** The hunters decide to meet the Past Winchesters and get to know them.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby called them back later that night. He'd spoken to the pair secretly and had made excuses for their leaving the compound.

Past Dean and Sam hid nearby to make sure they were alone then came out and eyed the pair with tears in their eyes, overwhelmed with memories of their parents. "You're…them…" Sam said so softly they almost missed it. "So like them."

"We had to see you…you can't tell anyone we're here." Dean said insistently.

"Why not come live with us?" Mary asked going to them and hugging them, both men so like her son and his mate but not either. They wore jeans and t-shirts not camo and black pants and soldier gear. They had no armor on where theirs wore body armor and vests during hunts. These men were natural, their clothes casual and light. But that didn't make them less dangerous than them themselves, they could sense that already. "You'd be welcome."

"We don't belong among you. We're the past, we have to stay that way. We stay a legend, an origins story you tell your kids. We're not hunters anymore, we're not needed. We just want to be left alone…but would like to know you, if you could visit sometimes if we stay here in these woods. Our cabin is well hidden, not even the 'Authorities' as you call them know of us. We cloak from the others, even you Hunters. We don't hunt but we keep these woods clean of threats. We protect our Homelands, that's it. We're not superpowered, we're just…humanish and hunters, that's it." Past Dean explained.

"Visit us more?" Sam pleaded. "Keep our secret and we can see you and stay near you. Be our family again?"

"We'd love to." John said hugging them as well in turns. "Sit over here, tell me your story."

"Tell us what you know of us first, you had a picture before…can we see it?" Sam asked holding out a hand. John gave it to him and smiled as Sam misted up. "This was taken… it was in September and we'd done that hunt and just got the Colt, remember?" He said showing it to Dean. "Before Dad was taken, we asked for a picture so we took one and a few weeks later, he was dead. Azazel took him from the hospital after his deal…This is that picture…where did you get it?"

"It was in one of the family scrapbooks I found of my ancestors. What about me and Mary?" Bobby asked, seeing their pain hurt him and he hugged them close. They recalled their Bobby had often held them the same way and they sunk into the familiar comfort. "Whose the angel that comes to us? Do you know him?"

"Mom burned up on Sam's nursery ceiling, Azazel killed her when she tried to stop him from bleeding into Sam's mouth at six months old. You were shot by a Leviathan in the head and you…passed." Sam admitted. "We mourned you so hard." The others cried a little then with the boys. To have your family ripped from you by demons that way had torn them up, hurt them so much and left them alone. "We were alone then."

"Tell us your story, Sam. Then we'll tell you the version we know of it." John negotiated.

So they spent hours doing so, and then John told what he knew with Bobby filling in the gaps for him. Then the men nodded and sighed. "Our stories are the same. They told it correctly and must have wrote it down at some point. It is nice to be remembered…" Dean said softly. "We aren't gods, guys. We're just men who have been through too much and are done with it. We just want rest and peace now; just the two of us. That's all we really want. We're just as fallible as the next guy, trust me. We make mistakes."

"Who's the Angel?" Mary asked. "He shows up and blesses the Leaders, shows the true leaders that were chosen. Who is he?"

"He's Castiel, a very good and very old friend; very dear to us. Our family is his responsibility, you see. We are his Charges. Me and Sam, he watches over you for us. Heaven tells him who is the leader and he tells you who they are, blesses them. He visits us often, too, and we talk a lot. He's a valuable friend to us even now. We've been through a lot with him so it bonded us." Dean said smiling. "He's really a rather…quirky kind of angel, once you get to know him. He's strong but so gentle. His sense of humor, well, he takes things quite literally; let's leave it at that. Have you ever spoken to him directly when he shows up?" Dean asked curiously.

"We're too afraid to; too in awe of him. He glows and shows up, we bow and he touches their heads, then he's gone. We've never talked to him." John admitted. "He sounds like a really nice guy."

"He is, don't worry about that. Blessing your leaders is always his job; along with watching over you Hunters and us." Dean admitted. "He's one of our Immortal companions."

"Who else is there? Anyone else around?" Bobby asked.

"Balthazar shows up occasionally, we hang out. Gabriel, he's a god now, he became one when Lucifer killed his Grace at the Motor Inn. He also helps us cloak. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't hide among you sometimes; just to watch you interact. He's a crazy kind of guy, a Trickster god but he's toned it down a lot. We made him promise to not influence you that way or them. He hides now. He used to live in the open but it got too risky once more Immortal Hunters showed up. So he's more careful now." Dean said.

"Not that we haven't enjoyed meeting you but we should go. Someone may worry if we stay away too long and come looking for us." John wisely advised. "We will see you again soon. We promise to visit you again soon."

"We'd like that." Sam said hugging the men and Mary briefly. "See you soon."

"See you soon." The others called back and when they peeked back, the pair was gone. Vanishing into the woods as if they had never been there. "I take it that visiting involves us calling first?"

"It does." Bobby said with a chuckle. "They're shy."

"So I see." John said shaking his head and heading to his car.

Then they drove back to their compound and resolved to keep the Winchester's secret for them. They really wanted to spend some time with the pair.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

John was working on figures when he sensed someone in the room. Pulling a gun, he turned and saw an unfamiliar hunter there. "Who are you?" John asked suspiciously. He didn't know this guy which meant that he wasn't one of theirs.

"After all you've heard of me, I'd thought you know…I'm Gabriel." The new hunter said and smiled as John's eyes widened and he checked to make sure the door was shut tight. "Ah, so you do know me…good. I just wanted to meet you, don't panic. Yes, I'm a god but, no, I don't want to make that public; so keep it quiet. Dean said he spoke to you and I just thought I'd drop in and introduce myself."

"Well, you are their friend and I'm grateful to you for that." John said. "They get lonely. Your visits help them feel less so."

"And now so will yours." Gabriel said before going to the door and unlocking it. "See you again soon. I'll be around but you won't know me. I just wanted to tell you that you made the right decision getting Sam to mate to Dean, and Dorian to Dante, and you to Mary. You must avoid war among the hunters at all costs. And you were meant for each other; that's why the pairings were arranged that way long before they happened. We knew in Heaven that there would be forced matings for peace among you and didn't want you unhappy with your mates. Peace shouldn't mean you get to be unhappy while everyone else gets to be happy. That's not fair in our eyes so we fixed it so it wouldn't be that way for you guys. You are of our friends; you are their family, so we would never allow you to be treated that way. You're doing well, John…I approve." And with that he walked out.

John ran out to see where he went but didn't see him anywhere. His heart raced as he had thought. He had a god in their midst and an angel watching over them. And their ancestors living nearby as well. Those were new but welcome oddities he could live with. No one else would ever need to know a thing about any of those facts either.

Another secret they'd keep, but a much nicer one this time.

xxxxxxxxxxx


End file.
